The Crab Ride in BJJ

The Crab Ride in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an intermediate control position where the attacker uses hooks (the bend of the foot) behind the opponent’s knees to elevate them, exposing the back or creating opportunities for guard passes. This dynamic position evolved from freestyle wrestling and has become a signature technique of modern lightweight competitors, particularly as a follow-up to De La Riva Guard or double guard pulls.

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Wrestling Roots: The Original Crab Ride

The wrestling Crab Ride is an old position of unknown origin that occurs from a “top riding” situation. The top wrestler sits or lays behind their opponent—typically in a sit-out position—and hooks their leg(s) behind the opponent’s knee(s) to control the hips and legs, combined with upper body control.​

This wrestling variation isn’t uncommon in BJJ’s sporting environment. It gained prominence through the historic 2005 ADCC match between Ricco Rodriguez and Marcelo Garcia in the open weight division, where it was executed from a standing position. Much like how the Kimura Lock and Americana Lock trace their lineage to catch wrestling, the Crab Ride demonstrates BJJ’s ability to adapt effective wrestling positions into the guard game.​

Evolution in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The modern BJJ Crab Ride from a guard-playing stance is relatively new. The earliest documented attempt appeared during the September 2011 ADCC finals in Nottingham, England, when Rafael Mendes unsuccessfully attempted it against Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” from the 50/50 Guard.​

The contemporary version—specifically as a follow-up to the De La Riva Guard-to-Baby Bolo combination—was first witnessed at the 2012 IBJJF World Championship. Rafael Mendes pioneered this application against Japanese featherweight Takayuki Koyama of Fukuzumi Jiu-Jitsu in June 2012, and the technique quickly spread throughout the lightweight division.​

This evolution mirrors how other modern techniques like the Tarikoplata and The Truck position emerged—high-level competitors experimenting during major tournaments, then refining successful innovations through repetition and teaching.​

Top Innovators and Competitors

As the new generation of lightweights adopted this unconventional position, the mats became a laboratory for perfecting setups and transitions. Key innovators who popularized the Crab Ride include:​

• Rafael Mendes – Original pioneer of the modern BJJ application
• Gianni Grippo – Refined setups and transitions from various guard positions
• João and Paulo Miyao – Developed no-gi variations and combinations, often linking to Reverse De La Riva Guard entries
• Mikey Musumeci – Advanced the position with systematic back-taking sequences leading to Bow and Arrow chokes
• Tammi Musumeci – Demonstrated effectiveness across divisions
• Espen Mathiesen, Tomoyuki Hashimoto, Pablo Mantovani – Further technical refinements

These athletes transformed the Crab Ride from an experimental position into a legitimate back-taking system that works at the highest levels of competition. Their innovations complement other modern guard systems like the Butterfly Guard and Donkey Guard, showing how contemporary BJJ emphasizes creative entries to dominant positions.​

Why the Crab Ride Works

The Crab Ride’s effectiveness comes from its versatility as an intermediate position. It allows the attacker to:​

• Control the opponent’s hips and leg movement through knee hooks using proper hand grips
• Elevate the opponent to expose their back for finishing chokes
• Create angles for guard passes like the Leg Drag or Toreando Pass if back exposure fails
• Transition seamlessly from guard-playing positions
• Attack with leg locks including the Heel Hook, Straight Ankle Lock, or Caio Terra Foot-Lock variations
• Chain attacks together, keeping opponents defensive

This multi-purpose control gives practitioners several offensive options from a single position, making it difficult for opponents to predict and defend against. The position exemplifies modern BJJ’s emphasis on creating dilemmas where the opponent faces multiple simultaneous threats—similar to how the Armbar from mount creates attacking options that force defensive reactions.​

Technical Details and Grips

Success with the Crab Ride depends heavily on proper execution and grip fighting. Practitioners must master:​

• Hook placement and pressure – Maintaining constant tension on the opponent’s knees
• Grip control – Using variations from the most common hand grips in jiu jitsu to prevent escape
• Weight distribution – Balancing between control and mobility for transitions
• Timing – Recognizing when to elevate versus when to transition to passes

The position’s effectiveness increases when combined with fundamental submissions. Once back exposure is achieved, practitioners can finish with traditional attacks like the Cross Choke, rear-naked choke, or the Bow and Arrow choke. If the opponent defends the back, transitions to Ezekiel Choke variations or positional resets become available.​

Relationship to Other Guard Systems

The Crab Ride doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s part of an interconnected web of modern guard systems. Practitioners typically enter the position from:​

• De La Riva Guard – The most common entry point
• Reverse De La Riva Guard – Alternative angle of attack
• 50/50 Guard – Rafael Mendes’ original 2011 attempt showed this connection
• Butterfly Guard – Transitions when opponent tries to stand

Understanding these relationships helps practitioners develop complete guard games rather than isolated techniques. Just as the Stand-Up Guard Pass / Carlson Gracie Guard Pass requires knowledge of multiple guard types to counter effectively, mastering the Crab Ride demands familiarity with the guard systems it connects to.​

From Innovation to Standard Technique

What Rafael Mendes introduced as an experimental technique in 2012 has become standard curriculum in many modern BJJ academies. The Crab Ride demonstrates how high-level competition drives technical innovation—athletes constantly test new positions under pressure, and those that prove effective spread throughout the community.​

The position’s journey from obscure wrestling control to mainstream BJJ technique took less than a decade, showcasing how quickly the sport evolves when elite competitors share knowledge through competition footage, seminars, and instructional content. This rapid evolution parallels how positions like the Tarikoplata and modern Heel Hook systems went from controversial innovations to widely-taught fundamentals.​

Whether you’re a lightweight competitor looking to add dynamic back-taking options or simply interested in BJJ’s technical evolution, the Crab Ride represents modern jiu-jitsu at its innovative best—taking proven wrestling concepts and adapting them into the guard-playing context that defines contemporary competition. Understanding what is BJJ helps appreciate how the art continuously adapts and grows through exactly this type of cross-pollination between wrestling and traditional guard work.​